Category: Self-help Techniques

Breathe Easy

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I’ve had a stuffy cold/sinusitis for the last couple of weeks.  There’s something about summer colds that makes them all the more miserable.  Curling up in a blanket with a steaming cup of tea feels more natural in the winter.  In the summer, you feel you should be frolicking outside without a care in the world.

I was determined to manage this illness without taking any extra medication.  I have enough chemicals in my body in the form of my regular meds and I didn’t want to add in any more if I could possibly help it.  In any case, I’ve never heard anyone rave about decongestants – you can’t even take them for long otherwise they cause the exact problem you’re trying to treat!  So I used some of my favourite helpers and did a bit of research to add in some new.  Of course, being given beautiful flowers from my parents’ garden perked me up too.

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10 Ways to Start a Journal

10 Ways to Start a Journal Image

 

If last week’s post ‘10 Health Benefits of Journaling‘ inspired you to pick up your pen, here are some different ideas to get you started. There really is a journaling style for everyone, whether you want to simply jot down a few points or devote a whole book to a specific area of your life.  I’ve started a new Pinterest board on journaling here.  It’s full of how-to guides and images to spark inspiration.Read More

10 Health Benefits of Journaling

10 Health Benefits of Journaling Image

 

I recently wrote about how keeping a journal formed my pathway to writing and how regular journaling helps me in so many ways (you can read that post here).  Below are ten health benefits of journaling that I have personally experienced.  If it inspires you to pick up a pen, look out for next week’s post ‘10 Ways to Start a Journal‘.Read More

FND Awareness Day 2016 – ‘Notes on Being Me’

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FND (Functional Neurological Disorder) Awareness Day was this week.  Raising the profile of the disorder is so important.  It took fifteen years for me to receive a correct diagnosis and specialist treatment to help me self-manage my condition.  That was half my lifetime and far too long.  Even so, I consider myself fortunate; I have a diagnosis and I have access to a world-class team of medical experts. Read More

We All have a Story to Tell

“My brother and sister had a flannel fight.  I opened the door and got a wet flannel in my face.”  My first attempt to keep a diary began when I was seven.  I had a five year Flower Fairy diary.  I felt so grown up having a tiny gold key to lock away my secrets.  By thirteen, my secret diary included pictures of the pop group Boyzone.  I’d also started listing goals, noting achievements and writing about difficult feelings; worrying about school or sadness that a beloved pet had died.  I began each year with the intention to write in my diary every day.  That rarely happened, but my diaries still give a wonderful snapshot of my childhood.Read More

A Tickle of Whiskers and a Nudge of a Paw

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Bertie and Bella, my feline protectors and constant companions.  They came to live with me as tiny kittens five years ago, eager to venture into my small London courtyard garden.  They immediately provided endless entertainment, leaving a trail of toy mice and little footballs of tin foil.  They’ve stayed with me ever since, through ups and downs and new gardens to explore, sharing the pure unconditional love animals give so freely. Read More

Spring

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I’ve been eagerly waiting for spring.  I’ve watched as fields and hedgerows slowly turn green.  I’ve looked out for colourful bulbs working their way up from the ground.  I’ve sat outside as the sun has teased me with its warmth.  I’ve felt relief as the days have started to stretch out and happiness as the birds have begun their first joyful song.  I long for the fresh energy that spring brings; the new growth, colour and light, and the endless possibilities that come with a new start. Read More

Hidden Gifts

TIVENDALE building

A seat belt digs into my shoulder.  The wheels of my chair are clamped to the ambulance floor.  I rub my eyes against the glaring blue light.  I yawn.  Even the kitties had sleepy faces this morning.  My tummy rumbles.  My breakfast is in my rucksack, out of reach.  We left two hours ago.  Where are we?  I’m going to be late.  I need to get to my appointment.  Where have the hospital drivers gone?  Are they lost again?  I try to peer out of the window.  It’s grey.  It’s gloomy.  We’re in the middle of a housing estate, goodness knows where.  And then I see it.  TIVENDALE.  It’s the block of flats named after my Great-Grandfather, Thomas Tivendale, Mayor of Hornsey 1951-2.  I’m home.  I’m present.  I’m where I’m supposed to be.  I’ve uncovered a little gift and I cannot help but smile.Read More

A Time for Change

‘The Book of Life’ by David Kracov

I love the sense of a fresh start and feeling of a new beginning that January brings, but I’m not sure about New Year’s resolutions.  Don’t get me wrong, I think setting yourself a challenge and changing an aspect of your life for the better is fantastic.  I do wonder though how many people set an unrealistic resolution in January, only to have given up and forgotten about it by February, perhaps trundling through the rest of the year feeling slightly disillusioned, until repeating the cycle when feeling the excess of Christmas and the wake-up call of January 1st?  Probably quite a few.  A gradual, consistent approach to making changes can be more lasting.  It’s also a wonderful way of staying in touch with your lifestyle, your values and your dreams. Read More